Italy: First Italian ruling on the Gig Economy: Foodora’s riders are independent contractors and not employees.

Apr 25 2018

On the 12 April 2018, Court of Turin rejected the appeal brought by six Foodora riders who had asked to be reinstated by the Company with full employment benefits, after the termination of their contracts because of the their protests concerning a better economic and contractual treatment.

Riders tried to demonstrate in Court that the Company had a complete control over their activity and timesheets, all typical characteristics of the classical employment relationship.

On the other hand, Foodora showed in Court its peculiar business model where riders are the core part of a Company, which relies on autonomous and flexible forms of work: in Italy, the Company enrolls riders as independent contractors. For this reason, they are free to enter the shift platform and decide when to give their specific availability.

We are still waiting for the grounds of the ruling, but the Court decision is clear: Foodora’s riders are independent contractors and not employees.